Stringy, using the cart bushing as a base for the foam balls certainly puts it to good use! I tried a pair of SS washers (as bases) but could only find 1" ID which was a little too big. So I never got around to trying the foam balls. I really needed 7/8" that could be sized up as per your recommendation.

I've had pretty good luck though with the tennis balls without any base, even on the heavier AI and Pro Angler. I thought they might collapse, but so far so good.

Perhaps their biggest advantage is that there are always a few laying around. I've been using the old balls for about 3 years now -- it's about time to replace them.

I have an older Outback 08'. I also have the older cart. Has anybody extended the posts so you can make the yak ride higher? I would hate to just put in wooden dowels. I have been looking for some SS tubing but no luck. I wanted to put a foam block like you use on your roof rack on the cross bar with tennis balls, but the posts are too short.

It could have been the cheap tennis balls I was using Roadrunner but I found that the long distance and bumps caused the balls to lose shape and collapse. I notice in your original post you just slit the balls. I cut holes smaller than the cart tube using a holesaw and this may also have contributed.I would like to say though that your original post using the balls has been one of the best mods I have made. It has enabled me to eliminate the car totally from my commute. I would rooftop the kayak down to the boatramp a distance of 1.5kms then unload, lock the car, leave it overnight, reload it the next morning.Now I just fit the cart and off I go! I get more exercise, it is quicker than rooftopping, kinder to my car, cheaper and less polluting!Win! Win!So, many thanks for that idea!

With the number of kilometers you put on your carts, you're really the expert cartsman! I think your refinement is definitely best, especially with your heavy load and long pulls. Going only short distances, the balls have been holding up, so I haven't had any need to upgrade so far.

I found that using fairly fresh balls and slicing and trimming the balls does seem to help give them some additional "grip" on the bars for extra support on heavy loads. My heaviest demand is the Oasis with gear plus 55 lb. of lead ballast when soloing.

sorry to bump an old thread, but I ran across this same issue with the Trax 2-30 cart I just bought for a 2014 outback. I spoke to my dealer, and he said to just raise the busings so the hull does not touch the padded crossbar.

When I mentioned that the instructions said the keel should be touching in 3 places (The 2 bushings and the crossbar), he told me not to worry about it.

The tennis ball thing is a good idea, I was wondering if anyone had any information on how this idea panned out. Did it work long term? Are there any other solutions?

For the price of this cart, you would figure they would make the bushings smaller to fit the various keels in the hobie lineup. I am interested in returning it for the wheeleez beach cart with the straps. The same dealer said they are way bigger and bulkier than the trax cart it would replace, and that it is a PITA to strap the boat in etc...

When I mentioned that the instructions said the keel should be touching in 3 places (The 2 bushings and the crossbar), he told me not to worry about it.

It's not a big deal, but I go for the 3 point contact when feasable. On flatter hulls you can't do it and I've seen no adverse effect.

Quote:

The tennis ball thing is a good idea. Did it work long term? Are there any other solutions?

Been using them for the last 7 years-- so far so good! Used balls last about 2 to 3 years depending on brand and condition before needing replacement. On your Outback (with the deep center hull) balls with spacers seem to be a good combo. It's very important that the cart legs extend all the way through the scuppers though. Other solutions? Stringy's foam balls with a supporting washer also seems like a great solution (see pg. 1 of this topic).

Quote:

I am interested in returning it for the wheeleez beach cart with the straps. The same dealer said they are way bigger and bulkier than the trax cart it would replace, and that it is a PITA to strap the boat in etc...

I used to use strap on carts. IMO they are time consuming, shift around and are harder to load up. Others like them though. The "C Tug" seems to be somewhat popular among those who use strap ons -- don't know if it comes with flotation wheels or not. Wheelez is a popular brand and probably does a good job as well. I have not tried either brand personally.

The tennis ball thing is a good idea, I was wondering if anyone had any information on how this idea panned out. Did it work long term? Are there any other solutions?

The tennis ball idea is one of the best mods you can do. I've never understood why Hobie didn't come up with a flexible post bushing that conformed to the hull shape?Like Roadrunner I can report that I've had far less problems with the scupper cart than with strap on carts. I have a C-Tug cart which I use with my TI but only for short distances. This modified Trax1 scupper cart is my cart of choice for my commute. It is about 6 years old and would have over 2000km's on it. After a few years the sponge rubber balls do eventually deteriorate but I just add another half a ball to build it back up:

All you need to do is get a three foot section of seat belt webbing material. Using a hot knife cut two holes for the cart posts at each end, don't make these holes too big, you want them to be a tight fit over the posts, to prevent them slipping off when you remove the cart. The trick is to cut the webbing to the correct length so that it forms a shallow curve that matches the curve of bottom of the outback. This mimics exactly what the strap on the Talic supports provide. It should be noted that this system should be used in conjunction with the Hobie cart bushings, do not make the webbing too long as it will then rest back on the foamed cross brace support and will provide no benefit at all. In my opinion tennis balls while soft still produce a concentrated area of support and will eventually rot in a salt water environment. I am experimenting with reshaping the Tandem Island Cradle using a heat gun while bending it over a curved surface that matches the bottom of the Outback for use as trailer supports and perhaps better cart support but it will require new hole locations after reshaping. Hobie are you monitoring these forums, as there are potential product improvements here that Outback owners want?

Regarding the plug in Hobe cart, the hull should bear most of the weight of the kayak (their nothing to damage in that spot). I was a little disappointed with the fit of the bushings so I took a file to them and managed to get some support from them. But the 2-30 cart is still a challenge on the sand, so I had an extra folding wheeleez cart from my other kayak and I strap that to the front so I got four wheeleez sharing the load.